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EmergencyFoodStorageBasics

Page history last edited by amanda_christensen@usu.edu 11 years ago

[Nummer reviewed - complete 7/17/2012]

 

Earthquakes, fires, severe storms, and power outages are just some of the potential emergencies we may encounter. Imagine that you have no electricity, no gas, no water and no telephone service. What would happen if you are told to evacuate your home in the next ten minutes? Imagine that all the businesses are closed and you are without any kind of emergency services. What will you do until help arrives?

 

The 3 day emergency food and water supply is meant to be a quickly accessed, portable source of food and water that can sustain you and your family for several days. It should be stored in one or two containers for quick portability.  The foods chosen should be ready-to-eat without the need for cooking or refrigeration [i]. Commercially canned foods are a good option because they don't require cooking or refrigeration.  During short term emergencies, you should be looking for calories and comfort foods.  Don't worry about vitamins or even nutritional content for such as short period of time.

 

The 3 week / 3 month emergency food and water supply are meant for a disaster where food and water delivery may be interrupted. Hurricane Katrina was a perfect example where the normal delivery of food was interrupted. Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet by purchasing a few extra items each week. Expand on this until you reach your goal.  Not all of these foods will be ready-to-eat and bulk foods must be added such as grains, beans, and dried milk (see below).  Plans must be made to store these foods and to provide the necessary means to prepare them.  For medium term emergencies you should be looking for calories and comfort foods like short term emergency foods, but also make plans to sustain nutrition over 3 weeks to 3 months.  You should not worry much about vitamin deficiencies since it will usually take more than 3 months to see symptoms of their absence.  And, short term vitamin deficiencies can be quickly reversed.

 

The Long-term food supply is emergency foods sufficient for one or more years.  It would take quite a disaster to last this long, but many feel this type of event is worth preparing for.  Long term food storage emphasizes a mixture of canned goods that can be safely stored for several years and low moisture foods that can be safely stored for long periods (10-30 years). A year supply of basic food storage for one person is about 400 lbs wheat, 60 lbs dry beans, 60 lbs sugar, 16 lbs powdered milk, 10 qt oil, and 8 lbs salt. [iii]  This supply will provide enough calories for one person for one year, but may be lacking in calcium and vitamins A, C, B12 and E.[iii] To meet complete nutritional needs long term food storage may need additional foods.  For example vitamins A and C can be found in canned or bottled fruits and vegetables as well as in some fruit drink mixes. [iii] Vitamin B12 can be found in canned meats and beef jerky. [iii] Calcium can be found in powdered milks, hot cocoa and pudding mixes.  [iii] Vitamin E can be found in fats and oils and also nuts. [iii]  These foods must be stored along with equipment to prepare them. A typical long term food supply for a family of four could weigh as much as 1500-2000 lbs. That’s almost a “ton” of food!  Vitamin deficiencies should be addressed when considering surviving off of food storage for longer than 3 months.

 

Planning:

*Buy foods that you enjoy and are more likely to eat. 

*Slowly buy food each week until you have the amount of food storage desired.

* Plan meals so that there will be no leftovers in case of no refrigeration.

* Each person should have one gallon of water per day for drinking, preparation of food and personal hygiene. (You may want to plan for more than this if live in hot climates, if someone is pregnant or if someone is sick) [iv].

* Stock up on foods that you and your family enjoy and foods that are high in calories and good nutrition [v].

* Preparing food becomes difficult when there is a loss of gas, electricity and water. Have on hand cooking and eating utensils, paper plates, cups and towels, a manual can opener, a gas or charcoal grill (camp stove), and fuel for cooking, such as charcoal [vi].

* If have pets, make sure to have a food and water supply for them as well.

*Avoid fatty, high protein and salty foods when your water supply is low [vii].

* Have a supply of soap and hand sanitizer to keep hands clean and to prevent sickness.

*Have a refrigerator thermometer. 

* Each person should eat at least one meal per day.

 

Storage:

*Food and water should be rotated every 6-12 months and use by dates should be followed to ensure that food and water is safe to consume.

* Store canned goods in a dry, cool place, about 40-60 F to prevent spoiling [viii].

* Keep food protected from insects and rodents by storing in air tight containers [viii].

* Do not consume canned goods that have become swollen, dented, or corroded [ix]

* In case of a power outage, eat foods in refrigerator first, then from the freezer, then from storage.  In a well insulated freezer, foods are usually good for 2 days if there are still ice crystals in the center of the food. Keep fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible[ix].

*Make sure the fridge stays under 40 F. If the fridge is unopened, food will stay good for 4 hours if unopened [x]

 

Suggested foods for medium and long term emergency storage [xi]:

 

Grains
Meat/meat alternatives
Fruits
Vegetables
Misc
Dry cereal
Canned tuna
Applesauce packs
Canned tomatoes
Bottled water
Crackers
Canned meat
Canned fruit
salsa

Cocoa packets

Instant potatoes
Canned beans
Dried fruit
Canned vegetables
Pudding cups
Instant rice
Peanut butter
Canned juice
 
Nonfat dried milk
Instant cereal
Beef jerky Fruit roll ups
  Powdered fruit drinks
Canned ravioli/spaghetti
Nuts Jellies and jams
  Comfort foods
Granola bars Canned soup/stew/chili      
Chips Kippered snacks      

 

References:

[i] http://umaine.edu/publications/9006e/

[ii] http://wellness.byu.edu/pics/documents/Fun%20Walks/Handout.pdf

[iii] Eliason D, Lloyd M. Nutritional Adequacy and Shelf Life of Food Storage. Available online at: http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/archive/2005/sharing_stations/pdf/52a.pdf

[iv] http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/foodwater/prepare.asp

[v] http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf

[vi] http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/foodwater/prepare.asp

[vii] http://www.redcross.org/preparedness/cdc_english/foodwater-3.asp

[viii] http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/foodwater/prepare.asp

[ix] http://www.redcross.org/preparedness/cdc_english/foodwater-3.asp

[x] http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm077023.htm

[xi] http://extension.missouri.edu/extensioninfonet/article.asp?id=3102

 

Comments (1)

amanda_christensen@usu.edu said

at 10:31 am on Mar 13, 2013

First 2 references not found.

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